Election Commission Reviews Bihar Poll Preparations, Calls for Higher Voter Turnout and Inclusive Participation

Patna: Election Commissioner of India, Dr. Vivek Joshi, conducted a series of high-level meetings in Patna during his four-day visit to Bihar, aimed at reviewing preparations for the upcoming 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly General Election. He met with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, State Police Nodal Officer Kundan Krishnan, Inspector General of Police, Patna District Election Officer-cum-District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police Avkash Kumar, Additional Secretary of the Election Department, and other key officials.

The meetings focused on crucial aspects of the election, including preparations, compliance with the Model Code of Conduct, special summary revision of the voter list, review of SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) activities to boost voter turnout, law and order, polling personnel management, facilities for disabled and elderly voters, security arrangements, and grievance redressal mechanisms.

CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal and Police Nodal Officer presented data and facts via PowerPoint presentations, followed by detailed presentations from Patna District Election Officer Chandrashekhar Singh and SSP Avkash Kumar, focusing on the Patna district.

Dr. Joshi emphasized the importance of ensuring a transparent, peaceful, and highly participatory election process. He directed officials to conduct all election-related tasks fairly and promptly, and stressed the need for proactive measures to encourage active participation from all political parties.

The Election Commission is conducting extensive training programs for polling station officers, electoral registration officers, and booth-level agents of recognized political parties, aimed at ensuring voter list accuracy. These programs are being held across Bihar and in New Delhi.

With 77,895 polling stations in Bihar, the Commission instructed officials to ensure minimum essential facilities at each location.

According to the final voter list, Bihar has approximately 7.80 crore voters. Dr. Joshi expressed concern over the low registration of young voters (18-19 years), with only 8,08,857 registered compared to an estimated population of 64 lakhs. He directed officials to prioritize youth voter registration.

Dr. Joshi also highlighted the low voter turnout in Bihar, noting that the 56.28% turnout in the last Lok Sabha election was significantly lower than the national average of 66.10%. He urged officials to develop and implement a micro-level strategy to increase voter participation, with regular reviews by the Election Commission.

He also pointed out that the 10 year average for Bihar voter turn out is between 56-57%, and that special efforts must be made to increase this number.

Addressing the 7,69,046 PwD (Persons with Disabilities) voters and 5,91,347 senior voters (above 85 years) in Bihar, Dr. Joshi directed officials to ensure their inclusive participation without any hindrances.

During his visit, Dr. Joshi will inspect First Level Checking (FLC) in Motihari, hold review meetings in Bettiah, and visit Valmiki Nagar and Vaishali to directly assess voter facilities, security, FLC processes, training centers, and polling stations. The Election Commission aims to ensure fair, peaceful, and participatory elections in Bihar.